


Bitter Sweets

by ElegantButler



Category: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Max Headroom - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, Gen, character interviews
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-14 00:41:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18042155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantButler/pseuds/ElegantButler
Summary: Edison Carter wants to interview the children who won the Gold Ticket lottery. He'll have to wait until the tour is over, but as we all know, he's going to get a lot more than he bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

Max Headroom/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

“Bitter Sweets”

  
  


Chapter 01: Sometimes, You Have To Wait

  
  


“The thing I find irritating about the whole contest, aside from the fact that it was rigged,” Bryce told Edison on the morning that Mr. Willy Wonka would be opening his factory to five lucky children, “is that after all this media hype, no reporters are being permitted inside the gates. He’s not even giving an interview.”

 

“Mr. Wonka has always been very secretive,” Edison agreed, not sounding as annoyed as his young friend.

 

“I’m surprised at you,” Theora remarked over the link at her control desk. “I’d have thought you’d be the first to demand an interview.”

 

“I think,” Bryce said, almost wistfully, “that Edison has a fondness for Wonka’s air of mystery. He doesn’t want to spoil that.”

 

“So, why are you there again?” Theora asked.

 

“I was hoping to interview the crowd and get their thoughts. Then when they come back out I want to try and interview the winners to find out what they thought of Mr. Wonka and his factory.”

 

“Assuming they’re allowed to give an interview,” Murray said over the link. “They may have to sign a privacy waiver.”

 

“They’ll still be allowed to give their opinions,” Edison reasoned.  He turned to Bryce. “I really wish you still had that fly of yours.”

 

Bryce thought about the electronic fly he had created as his college graduation project. “It wouldn’t work. Willy Wonka fired his original staff when I was around two years old when he discovered spies in their midst. Since then, it’s been impossible to get any type of recording or tracking devices into the factory.”

 

“So all we can do is wait until the tour is over and hope they can give some interesting interviews.” Murray remarked.

 

“Let’s not interview the parents,” Edison said, watching and listening to Sam Beauregard give anyone who would listen the location and phone details for the auto dealership where he worked,. “I don’t want my show to become an advertising format for Beauregard’s car dealership or Salt’s Nuts.”

 

“Sounds fine to me,” Murray agreed. “Though the parents might take objection to it.”

 

“We’ve dealt with entitled people before,” Edison reminded him. “We can do it again.”

 


	2. Interview With Augustus

###  Chapter 02: Interview With Augustus

 

The doors to the factory opened and the children emerged.

 

“My god,” Edison whispered as August came forth. He was covered in chocolate. At least that is what Edison first thought. The conversation between mother and son soon revealed a more horrific truth. The boy was chocolate now. But how? What process was there which could turn flesh and bone into the spoils of the cacao bean? And how could such a child continue to live and move with his organs turned into who knows what?

 

And with the boy licking his fingers? What of that? Would he eat himself into nothingness? Or did the chocolate which formed his body continuously regenerate itself when eaten, like the liver of Prometheus?  Indeed, given Augustus Gloop’s ravenous appetite, would he eat at himself faster than he could grow back?

 

“Excuse me,” Edison said, approaching Augustus and his mother, “I’m Edison Carter. Network 23. Can you tell me what happened to you?”

 

“Mr. Carter,” Mrs. Gloop said, getting between Edison and her son. “As you can see, that monster, Wonka, has turned my son into a giant piece of walking chocolate.”

 

“Actually, I’m fudge, mom,” Augustus corrected her, sucking on a pinky. 

 

“Please, stop doing that!” Mrs. Gloop groaned. “There’ll be nothing left! And what am I supposed to do with him this summer?” she bemoaned turning to Edison. “Fudge and chocolates melt in the summer!”

 

“I assume you plan on taking legal action,” Edison asked.

 

“What good would it do?” Mrs. Gloop asked. “My husband is a butcher. He doesn’t make nearly enough money to go against Wonka’s lawyers.”

 

“I guess it was my fault anyhow,” Augustus remarked. “Mr. Wonka told me not to drink from the chocolate river. But it was so delicious.”

 

“River?” Edison asked.

 

“Oops,” Augustus said. “We’re not supposed to talk about that. Corporate secret.”

 

“Delete that last bit, control,” Edison instructed over the vidicam. Waiting for the edit and the continue,  Edison eventually spoke again.

 

“How much of the factory did you see that you can speak about?” 

 

“Only the candy meadow,” Augustus said, sadly. “But it was so beautiful. There were trees, and grass, and flowers. All made of different types of candy. I guess Mr. Wonka was testing different flavors and he just wanted them to be pretty.”  He paused, thoughtfully. “Hm. I never thought about how beautiful candy could be.”

 

Mrs. Gloop nodded. “Some candies are very pretty.”

 

“Well,” Edison said. “I can see you have a lot to think about. Thank you.”

 

Mrs. Gloop smiled and led her son away.


End file.
